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Overview

Twenty percent of the physicians practicing in the United States are foreign trained. Minorities make up the majority population in six of the eight largest metropolitan areas within the United States. In California, Medi-Cal Managed Care providers are now required to give culturally appropriate and linguistically competent services. Yet, most health care professionals have little or no training on how to deal with the challenges of cultural diversity.Managing Diversity in Health Care offers professionals an essential handbook for learning to become more culturally sensitive and responsive to both coworkers and patients in order to deliver quality health care services. Written by Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, two of the country's top experts in cultural diversity in the workplace, this vital resource explains how to build productive work relationships, deal with complex issues of prejudice and bias, and communicate effectively within an increasingly diverse health care setting.Chapter after chapter is filled with practical information, helpful suggestions, effective strategies, and models and checklists that are fundamental to creating a culturally competent health care organization. The book includes critical knowledge on a wide range of topics:? Common misunderstandings that often occur in a cross-cultural environment? Standards of privacy; the importance and criteria of status; beliefs about the body, healing, and dying; and other cultural factors that influence the health care experience? Culturally sensitive ways to solicit relevant information? Strategies for minimizing the negative effects of stereotyping? The seven essential steps for affecting long-term organizational change? Examples of real-life solutions implemented by health care organizations? A current listing of the most useful books, videos, articles, newsletters, and published training materials on the topic of diversityWith this book as a touchstone, staff at all levels-e

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"This insightful and practical work should be required reading formanagers, physicians, nurses, allied health caregivers, and supportstaff, in order to overcome barriers to communication and change indealing with an increasingly complex patient and employee base. Ihighly Andorse this excellent book written by these outstandingauthors." (Donald R. Oxley, vice president and executive director,Kaiser Permanente)

"A superb and complete reference guide on cultural diversity. Thisbook provides insight into why health care providers do not reachtheir potential in differentiating themselves in the health caremarketplace. Should be read by all health care providers—a side ofhealth care that is all too often forgotten." (James T. Yoshioka,president, MedCenters Division)

"Managing Diversity in Health Care tackles a difficult topic thatcan no longer be considered optional for any health careprofessional. The authors have done an excellent job balancingtheory, facts, and statistics with an understanding of the'cultural software' we all possess. This book forces us, as healthcare professionals, to question the assumptions we have about ourpatients and offers concrete suggestions and resources for fightingagainst stereotypes in our work." (Kathryn Johnson, CEO, TheHealthcare Forum)

Doody's Review Service

Reviewer: Enid Errante Zwirn, PhD, MPH, RN (Indiana University School of Nursing)Description: This is an easy-to-read, short handbook written for healthcare professionals to increase their cultural sensitivity and responsiveness to both co-workers and patients to deliver quality health care services. Purpose: The growing need for healthcare providers to be knowledgeable about the contributions and challenges of diversity in the workplace, and in the effective care of patients, supports continued attention to this subject as well as pragmatic guidelines for practice.Audience: The authors state that the book is "written for those who design and implement an organization's strategic vision ... who train and develop staff to meet the goals of that strategy, as well as for direct caregivers." A more focused voice targeted, for example, to strategic planners or specific caregivers, would increase its relevance. Parts of the book, such as Chapter Four and the list of "Suggestions for Health Care Professionals Regarding Cross Cultural Communication," might be provided for novice health practitioners as springboards for self reflection and seminar discussion. Other chapters, such as Chapter Nine, would be more attractive to readers in mid- and upper-level management positions. The authors have contributed to the area of cultural diversity in the workplace for over 20 years. They are also the authors of Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide (Irwin Professional Pub, 1992). Many of the useful checklists and suggestions in this book first appeared in their earlier work.Features: Chapters One through Five appear targeted to the healthcare provider. The authors address changing U.S. demographics, the pervasive role of ethnicity, and cross-cultural examples of norms, preferences, and areas that contribute to cultural misunderstanding. Chapter Six would be valuable for both healthcare providers and managers. The last three chapters focus on successful leader attributes, successful organizational change efforts, and solving organizational problems related to managing diversity in healthcare. The book contains few illustrations, but a number of checklists and models to be used for assessment and training tools are provided. The authors promise a companion trainer's guide with reproducible training activities and worksheets to be available "soon." The checklists and models are supported by an excellent annotated resources section that includes books, structured experiences, games and training activities, videos, films, and web sites.Assessment: The book's shortcoming is its lack of a clearly defined audience. More could have been done with visual presentation — checklists and guidelines could have been blocked and presented in horizontal format. Perhaps the trainer's guide will correct these. The strengths of the book include its health workplace examples, checklists, resource section, and index. The demands to successfully manage diversity in healthcare come from our colleagues and our clients. The subject is critical.

Enid Errante Zwirn

This is an easy-to-read, short handbook written for healthcare professionals to increase their cultural sensitivity and responsiveness to both co-workers and patients to deliver quality health care services. The growing need for healthcare providers to be knowledgeable about the contributions and challenges of diversity in the workplace, and in the effective care of patients, supports continued attention to this subject as well as pragmatic guidelines for practice. The authors state that the book is ""written for those who design and implement an organization's strategic vision ... who train and develop staff to meet the goals of that strategy, as well as for direct caregivers."" A more focused voice targeted, for example, to strategic planners or specific caregivers, would increase its relevance. Parts of the book, such as Chapter Four and the list of ""Suggestions for Health Care Professionals Regarding Cross Cultural Communication,"" might be provided for novice health practitioners as springboards for self reflection and seminar discussion. Other chapters, such as Chapter Nine, would be more attractive to readers in mid- and upper-level management positions. The authors have contributed to the area of cultural diversity in the workplace for over 20 years. They are also the authors of Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide (Irwin Professional Pub, 1992). Many of the useful checklists and suggestions in this book first appeared in their earlier work. Chapters One through Five appear targeted to the healthcare provider. The authors address changing U.S. demographics, the pervasive role of ethnicity, and cross-cultural examples ofnorms, preferences, and areas that contribute to cultural misunderstanding. Chapter Six would be valuable for both healthcare providers and managers. The last three chapters focus on successful leader attributes, successful organizational change efforts, and solving organizational problems related to managing diversity in healthcare. The book contains few illustrations, but a number of checklists and models to be used for assessment and training tools are provided. The authors promise a companion trainer's guide with reproducible training activities and worksheets to be available ""soon."" The checklists and models are supported by an excellent annotated resources section that includes books, structured experiences, games and training activities, videos, films, and web sites. The book's shortcoming is its lack of a clearly defined audience. More could have been done with visual presentation -- checklists and guidelines could have been blocked and presented in horizontal format. Perhaps the trainer's guide will correct these. The strengths of the book include its health workplace examples, checklists, resource section, and index. The demands to successfully manage diversity in healthcare come from our colleagues and our clients. The subject is critical.

Booknews

Shows professionals how to become more culturally sensitive to both co-workers and patients, explaining how to build productive work relationships, deal with issues of prejudice and bias, and communicate effectively within a diverse health care setting. Explains views on the body, illness, healing, and death in many different cultures, and discusses long-term organizational change. Includes numerous checklists, models, and suggestions, and a 24-page listing of useful books, videos, articles, newsletters, and training materials. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
3 Stars from Doody

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Meet the Author

ANITA ROWE Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe are partners in Gardenswartz and Rowe, a consulting firm specializing in management issues such as diversity, stress, and team development. They are the authors of Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide (1993).

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